Illuminated rotary clotheswashing basket



Oct. 20, 1953 RICK 2,656,451

ILLUMINATED ROTARY CLOTHES-WASHING BASKET Filed Jan. 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,ilGGOOOOO Inventor Hilda Ric/r amzu Oct. 20, 1953 H. RICK ILLUMINATED ROTARY CLOTHES-WASHING BASKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2 1951 Fig. 4.

Fig 2.

Fig. 3.

on coo one can 000 000 00 0 000 000 I n ueu to r Hilda Rick Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT mm} ILLUMINATED ROTARY CLOTHES- WASHING BASKET Hilda Rick, Manitowoc, Wis.

Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 203,817

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic clothes washers and more particularly to illuminating means for the rotary basket of the washer.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for illuminating the interior of a rotary clothes washing basket by a lamp positioned inside the washer and outside of the basket and protected from contact with water used in washing and to this end to construct the basket with an annular window in its end adjacent the clothes door and also constructing the stationary cylinder of the washer with a window between the lamp and the basket window to thus shield the lamp from water.

Another object is to provide a switch for the lamp controlled by the clothes door of the washer to energize the lamp when the door is opened and to de-energize the lamp when the door is closed.

A further object is to provide illuminating means for clothes washers which is simple and practical in construction, efficient and dependable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the washer showing the location of the lamp therein;

Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 22 and 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the washer and with the clothes door broken away to show the switch;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the switch; and

Figure '7 is a diagram of the circuit for the lamp.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a conventional type of automatic clothes washer which includes a casing 6 having a clothes door I at its front. The opening 8 of the stationary cylinder 9 is connected to the front opening Ill by a rubber vibration dampening and sealing tube l l.

The front end of cylinder 9 is provided with 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-2) a glass covered window l2 above the opening 8 alined with an annular glass covered window l3 which is positioned concentrically with the clothes opening I4 in the front end of the rotary basket l5 of the washer, which is secured to a shaft I6 journaled in the rear end of the cylinder and driven by a belt I! from a motor [8 at the rear of the washer. The edges of the windows l2 and I3 are sealed in rubber strips!!! and 20.

A lamp 2| is supported by a bracket 22 in front of window l2 and is connected to a conventional type of door operated switch 23 which includes a plunger 24 sliding in the front of the casing 6 in the path of closing movement of the door I. A coil spring 25' projects the plunger outwardly to close the switch and energize the lamp when the door is open, while the plunger is moved inwardly to open the switch and de-energize the lamp when the door is closed.

Accordingly, when the door I of the washer is closed the switch cuts off the lamp while the washer is running and when the Washing operation is completed and the door 1 is opened, the lamp 2| is energized to illuminate the interior of the basket l5 so that the operator may easily see the condition of the clothes and to eliminate the possibility of leaving part of the washed clothes in the basket when removing the same.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantage of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even through there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. In combination, a washing machine including a casing having a clothes door in its front wall, a stationary cylinder in the casing spaced I from at least one wall thereof to form a chambar between the said wall of the casing and the cylinder, and said cylinder having an axial opening in its front wall alined with the door, a clothes loading and unloading tub leading from the door to the opening in the cylinder, a rotary tub in the cylinder also having an axial opening in its front wall alined with the first named opening, a glass covered window in the stationary cylinder,

a glass covered window in the rotary tub registering at all times with the first named window, and a lamp in the chamber of the casing in front of the first named window to illuminate the interlor of the tub through said windows.

2. In combination, a washing machine including a casing having a clothes door in its front wall, a. stationary cylinder in the casing spaced from afi'llea'stmne wall'thereomtoi form aszchazmber between' the said wdllof the casing'and cylinder, and said cylinder having an axial opening in its front wall alined with the door a clothes loading and unloading tube leading fromwthedoon to the opening in the cylinder, a rotary tubhindthe cylinder also having an axial opening in its front wall alined with the first named opening a glass covered window in' the stationary. cylinder an annular glass covered window in'the rotary tub concentric to the axial opening therein anda'egister- '4 ing at all times with the first named window. and a lamp in the chamber of the casing in front of the first named window to illuminate the interior of the tub through said windows.

HILDA RICK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

